Batman’s Newest Villain Is Quiz, A Female Version Of The Riddler

Warning: spoilers for Legends of the Dark Knight #5 ahead!

In the DC Digital First Legends of the Dark Knight, Batman meets his newest villain, the Riddler‘s girlfriend, who calls herself Quiz. And while it may be tempting to compare the relationship between the two to Joker and Harley Quinn – or even the more recent pairing of Joker and Punchline – they are in fact much healthier.

The Gas Mask Killer has arrived in Gotham and is selling a new, highly toxic gas to the highest bidder. The gas is far more lethal than anything the Joker or the Scarecrow could possibly create, and this makes it an attractive weapon to the villains of Gotham City. So far, the Penguin, Mister Freeze, the Joker and Scarecrow have all shown interest in the new substance, and Batman has had to fight his way through them all trying to get to the Gas Mask Killer. After taking care of the Joker and turning him over to the authorities, Commissioner Gordon tells Batman they have intercepted a letter, apparently from the Riddler, that is laced with the new toxin.

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In issue #4 – written and illustrated by Darick Robertson, with inks by Richard P. Clark, colors by Diego Rodriguez and letters by Simon Bowland – Batman instantly senses something is amiss with the clue: it is way too sloppy for the Riddler, noting it seems crude and rushed. Batman traces the clue to an abandoned casino but is knocked out by an unknown assailant. When he comes to, he is standing face to face with a young woman wearing a purple and green outfit decked out with question marks, calling herself Quiz. In the next issue, readers learn Quiz’s backstory: she is the Riddler’s girlfriend, and they met when she sent him clues that, when he solved them, gave him codes he would need to pull off a heist. It was a trap set by Quiz just to meet him, and the two wound up hitting it off. Batman then learns that the Riddler was going to be set up by Scarecrow over the poison gas, but Quiz figured it out and saved the Riddler’s life. Now, they need Batman’s help to take the heat off them.

The relationship between Quiz and the Riddler mirrors the one between the Joker and Harley Quinn, but with one key difference: there is a sense of mutual respect between Quiz and the Riddler, with each knowing they are kindred spirits, and no trace of the abusive gaslighting that was a hallmark of the Joker and Harley Quinn. While Harley’s infatuation with the Joker led to her criminal career, Quiz’s infatuation with the Riddler is part and parcel with her existing criminality, and the two are simply on the same wavelength.

Time will tell if Quiz will go the same path as Harley and eventually break with her lover for a more heroic career, but for now fans can see the Riddler and Quiz menace Gotham City, as Batman continues to unravel the mystery that led him to their door.

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